While ready-made stretched canvases are a convenient choice, many artists require the higher quality of custom canvases where you can also choose the size and characteristics. Stretching your own canvas is fairly straightforward. The part that is the most difficult is folding neat corners on the back. This video shows a good method.
How To Fold Corners When Stretching Canvas
Most of the time you choose to have the triangular fold bump that shows slightly on the edge, on the top and bottom so the sides are an unbroken line. So if you know what orientation you will be using for the stretched canvas you can choose which way to pull over the fold. (show the fold bump)
1. On the bars that will be the side of the canvas (not the top or bottom) continue stretching and stapling all the way to the corner with a final staple parallel to the top edge near the edge of the fabric, making your priority the smooth taut edge of the canvas on the side bar.
2. Still making the appearance of the visible side and corner the priority, pull the flap toward the centre of the canvas and create a triangular fold that falls just where a mitre join would in the corner of the wood frame – double check that the corner is smooth and not puckered. Press the fold with your fingers.
3. The final fold usually involves a bit of wiggling, reaching under the fold and making sure all is tucked in smoothly and the corner is not loose or puckered – pull the last flap over so that the side is parallel to the top bar, but not showing over the edge. Staple down the fold taking care not to staple across the corner join in the stretcher frame. Stapling over the join in the frame would mean that you couldn’t use the wedges to expand the corners later.
To keep track of which way you are folding the canvas it may be helpful to do step one on all four corners before you go back to finish the folds.
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